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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, F eb ru ar y 15 ,2 01 8 | 8 A small, early morning brush fire near Erin in De- cember 2015 led to a body's discovery and, so far, years of blank mystery. Members of the Erin Fire Department and Wel- lington OPP responded to a call Dec. 17, 2015, about a brush fire in a wooded area along Wellington County Road 124 east of 10th Line near Erin. It's an area not uncommon in rural Onta- rio littered with garbage and where refuse is dumped. Through the course of extinguishing the small fire, firefighters and police found the body of a 65-year- old man in the wooded area. Frederick (John) Hatch, of no fixed address, was last seen a day before in Ottawa at about 1 p.m. while shop- ping at a Dollar Tree Store there. He wore a denim vest with Mickey Mouse charac- ters on the back. The vest was worn over a black leather jacket. He had a blue and white bandana, glasses and black Harley Davidson boots. Hatch car- ried a red duffel bag. He was described as five-feet-six with a heavy build. The distance between Ottawa and Erin is about 516 kilometres. Police say they don't know how Hatch travelled that distance, which could take about five hours to drive. Investiga- tors say Hatch was known to hitchhike frequently. OPP homicide detectives have remained steadfast in keeping secret Hatch's cause of death. Those in- volved with the case say that detail, the means of Hatch's death, is an impor- tant investigative tool. Initial speculation held the body had been dumped and set on fire, one of the theories being Hatch was murdered somewhere else and that his body was trans- ported to the dump site where police and firefight- ers found it. As testament to the lack of chatter surrounding Hatch's death, Wellington County OPP have employed a number of tactics to un- ravel details about the vic- tim's last day and murder. NEWS The investigation into the death of 65-year-old Frederick (John) Hatch is more than two years old. The Ottawa man's remains were found Dec. 17, 2015, in a wooded area off Wellington Road 124 near Erin. Metroland File Photo Transient's 2015 murder remains an open case for OPP JAMES MATTHEWS jmatthews@orangeville banner.com l See OPP, page 12 Our trails are open year round! Call now to reserve a spot! 14097 Ninth Line Georgetown Anna & Gary Drummond info@fallbrooktrail.com www.fallbrooktrail.com 905-873-6588905-873-6588 Fallbrook Trail Ranch Valentine's Day Special Feb 14-18 1 hr Trail Ride Homemade Soup or Chili, Hot Chocolate & Bonfire Family Fun Day Special Feb. 19th • Time: 10:30-1:00 or 2:00-4:30 1/2 Hour Trail Ride, Hay Ride, Crafts Homemade Soup, Hotdogs or Chili, Hot Chocolate by the bonfire Western Riding Club 9:00-4:00 Join us every Saturday and Sunday for our WRC and learn all about horses and horsemanship. Experience what it's like to own a horse! $80 per person $60 per person $60 per person OUTDATED kiTchEn OR BATh? OUTDATED kiTchEn OR BATh? SURFAcE REFiniShinG SURFAcE REFiniShinG YOU TiME AnD MOnEY! YOU TiME AnD MOnEY! $AVE$ CABINETS • COUNTERTOPS • TILES • TUBS &MORE! Before After! My home is stuck in a time warp! VISIT OUR SHOWROOM 247 Armstrong Avenue Unit 10 Georgetown Monday-Friday, 8:30 to 4:30. Evenings and weekends by appointment. Call for a free estimate: 905-494-1915 EachMiracle Method franchise independently owned and operated See our work atMiracleMethod.com/brampton Is your present mortgage coming up for renewal? Thinking of purchasing? Need a Pre-approval? We can lock in an interest rate for up to 120 days. Purchases - Pre-approvals - Debt Consolidation - Self-employed Borrowers Reverse Mortgages - Past Credit Issues - Private Lending - Second Mortgages Phone: (905) 877-2426 | Email: moeforget@onlymortgages.ca | www.onlymortgages.ca 232A Guelph St. Suite 204, Halton Hills | Only Mortgages is a VERICO Broker. Each VERICO Broker is independently owned and operated. | FSCO No: 10659 Mortgages are all we do, and nobody does them better! *AMP Mortgage Broker **AMP Mortgage Agent